A public-interest platform for stronger health agency.

HAW exists because access to health information is not the same as being able to judge it, question it and use it safely. Research, practical tools, professional learning and community knowledge are brought together in one connected platform.

A diverse group discussing health information together. — Health information becomes more useful when people can question, interpret and apply it with confidence.

Research-led

Public content identifies its evidence type, source, review status and important limitations.

Culturally humble

HAW treats trust, language, power, lived experience and context as central to health-information use.

Designed for action

Evidence is translated into practical learning, appraisal tools and community-informed resources.

The problem HAW addresses

People can be surrounded by health content and still lack a fair chance to decide what is credible, relevant or uncertain, and what action is safe.

Search engines, social feeds, advertising, professional authority, family networks, language barriers and previous experiences all influence how information is interpreted.

HAW provides a clear environment where research, practical appraisal tools, learning and community knowledge work together rather than sitting in separate silos.

How HAW works

HAW communicates in a direct, calm and transparent way. It does not dramatise risk, overstate certainty or blame people for finding complex information difficult.

Evidence, public guidance, expert interpretation, community knowledge and teaching examples are clearly distinguished so that users can understand the basis of a claim.

Accessible design targeting WCAG 2.2 AA.
Plain-language summaries alongside technical references.
Clear correction and complaint routes.
Privacy, safeguarding and accessibility built into the service.
No unsupported accreditation, endorsement or impact claims.

One connected HAW system

The public website explains the mission, evidence standards, tools, research and community work.

HAW Academy provides protected professional learning, course creation, evidence review, accessibility review and role-based administration through the same trusted identity system.

Research

Themes, studies, evidence summaries and transparent interpretation.

Academy

Structured professional learning with accessible lessons and governed review.

Tools

Practical prompts and workflows for appraising health information.

Community

Co-designed work grounded in context, trust and reciprocal benefit.

References behind this section

These sources make the evidence basis visible and help readers review the guidance, standards and research informing this page.

Reference standard

Health literacy

World Health Organization

Frames health literacy as a personal and organisational capability shaped by social, economic and communication conditions.

View source

Reference standard

Infodemic management

World Health Organization

Supports HAW's focus on misinformation resilience, information voids, trust and credible health communication.

View source

Web standard

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.2

W3C

Sets the accessibility benchmark used for HAW interface, content and interaction design.

View source

UK health standard

Accessible Information Standard

NHS England

Supports clear information and communication support needs, especially for disabled people and people with sensory loss.

View source

Explore the HAW programme

Start with the research themes and see how they connect to learning, tools and community work.

Go to Research